Video Preview of 7.8-inch Onyx Boox Nova

A new video surfaced on YouTube today from one of Onyx’s resellers showing a preview of the Onyx Boox Nova. The video doesn’t really show much but at least it confirms the Nova is still in the works and is likely to get released soon.

The Boox Nova has a 7.8-inch E Ink screen with 300 ppi and a frontlight with adjustable color temperature.

It has a quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and it runs Android 6.0 like Onyx’s other newer devices.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of the Onyx Boox Nova, but Onyx has been busy releasing twenty different versions of the Onyx Boox Note instead.

To me the Nova is more interesting than the other new 7.8-inch devices like the InkBook Explore and Likebook Mars because Onyx’s software is more refined and more advanced, especially when it comes to PDFs.

The Nova basically looks like a smaller version of the Onyx Boox Note. It’s disappointing to see Onyx moving away from offering page buttons and memory card slots on their devices, but at least their newer software and upgraded hardware is a big step forward.

The video preview shows the Kindle app in action, and it appears to work pretty well. The Nova could be a nice alternative to Kindles with the larger screen if the price is right. Hopefully Onyx will start selling the Nova on Amazon soon alongside their other devices.

9 Responses to “Video Preview of 7.8-inch Onyx Boox Nova”

I was eagerly waiting to get my hands on Nova but now I’m tempted to buy likebook Mars. It’s pretty clever unexpected move on their side with added features which Nova lacks
so I’m guessing It might take longer for Onyx to release,

I’d wait. I just got the Likebook Mars so I haven’t gotten much time to test it yet but my first impressions of the software aren’t great. The fact there’s only one font type and no hardware back button already drives me nuts. Maybe there’s a way to add more fonts but there’s no manual so I haven’t figured that out yet.

How are the screen materials on the Mars? I heard it wasn’t glass. Is it a soft plastic that’s easily damaged like say the Onyx Boox Note (I wrote on one with moderate pressure and left a permanent grove in the screen) or is it pretty sturdy?

It’s a typical E Ink screen with no glass front. It’s not like I’m not going to try gouging the screen to see how much pressure it can take. It doesn’t have a stylus or writing apps anyway so I don’t see the relevance.

Have you tried the Pie App?–that let’s you have a virtual back button. I agree that a physical back button is nice. The Onyx i86 has one, but I am interested in these new Android 6.0, quad core e-readers. I have never used the stock system on an ereader–I use Nova or Apex launcher and a reader app like Moon + that affords any font I want.

It has a back button on the menu bar but it’s located in the top left corner so it gets kind of annoying having to reach across the screen all the time, and with some apps the menu bar disappears completely. I thought about using Button Savior—haven’t heard of Pie App—but either way having a hardware button is nicer.

That app (to clarify, as many things have “pie” in their title, is “Pie Control.” As the name suggests, it opens a pie-shaped selection of virtual buttons that one can assign different functions, including “home” and “back” which can be really useful on an e-ink device. A pity about the lack of a physical manual refresh button on the Mars, but now I see you reference to the virtual version –I am going to test drive this Likebook Mars and I’ll report my experience, too.

I could do without an sdcard slot (if 32gb) not really with 16gb due to system files and then books,pdf, and any manga..
The front light even without nightime is kinda of a deal issue for me. It reminds me when Gameboy’s had the light mod and screen light addons before they added the led’s to the hardware.http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/gameboy-screen-light-mods-dmg-01-color/

sorry rechecked the website… This is interesting change instead of 2/16gb no back light just like the Note6 specs just smaller screen and no digitizer as previously expected.. This website is listing it with 2/32gb and backlight with nighttime mode